In The Morning

For years I have had Lamentations 3:21-23 highlighted in my Bible. It is very poetic and beautiful. Recently, these verses were part of my daily devotional. When I read them, they struck me like never before.
   
   "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD'S great love we are not  
      consumed, for His compassion's never fail; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."  

Jeremiah wrote these words during hard and difficult days of Jerusalem's destruction.  It was a time of great loss. Even in the darkest days, Jeremiah found hope in God. He reminded himself of the LORD'S great love.

Every morning during my devotions, I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." (Lam. 3:24) Without this hope, what is the purpose of life? I must remind myself every day of this and if I do not start my day with God, I sense His urging and calling all day to come near to Him.

Oswald Chambers said, "Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day." 
Some other verses from the Psalms, remind me that it is in the morning, at the first start of day, when we need to draw our strength from God.
  
   "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You." (143:8)
   "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice. In the morning I lay my requests before You and
      wait in expectation." (5:3)
   "Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love." (90:14)

When Moses was going to receive instructions from God in Exodus 34:2, the LORD told him to "Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai." Moses obeyed and met God there.

This day I was overwhelmed and needed the reminder that I have hope, that God meets with me in the morning, speaks through His word and reassures me of His love and faithfulness. He never leaves me or forsakes me.

"Give God the fresh blossom of the day. Never make Him wait until the pedals have faded."
                                                                                           .... ....    Streams in the Desert